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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — letters
  7. press — a publisher
  8. suit — clothes
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. press — to push
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — a friend
  14. perch — the fish
  15. press — newspapers
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. suit — in cards
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spell — magic
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tube — a container
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com